Sports
Hockey

Sens GM warns Crosby, Pens

BRUCE GARRIOCH, QMI Agency

Sunday, November 27, 2011
8:20:58 EST PM

Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby, right, elbows Ottawa Senators' Nick Foligno in the third period of their NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, November 25, 2011. Crosby received a penalty for the elbowing. (REUTERS/Jason Cohn)

Bryan Murray fired back at Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins Sunday.

The Senators GM warned the Penguins superstar and coach Dan Bylsma they might want to watch out the next time the teams face off on Dec. 16 at Scotiabank Place because it could get rough.

Murray sounded off after Bylsma and Crosby, speaking in Montreal Saturday night, defended his actions in elbowing winger Nick Foligno to the head Friday in Pittsburgh.

"The rules are very clear now," said Murray. "If you fall into a goaltender and touch a goaltender, an elbow to the head and a butt end to the head is fair game. Dan Bylsma said that's OK for them. Sidney said Nick Foligno is

that kind of player.

"I wish (Foligno) was that kind of player. I thought the referees in that game, watching it and hearing the comments, it was 2-on-2. He fell over the goaltender. He was cross-checked four times. There was no question, did he get pushed? I don't know. He got cross-checked, I thought he got a butt end, but it might have been a full elbow. (Chris) Kunitz comes in with a cross-check and the penalties were even.

"So, (NHL disciplinarian Brendan) Shanahan said that's a good play. That's a hockey play. Dan Bylsma said it's good for them and Pittsburgh were the biggest ones on the head injuries. I'm remiss. I made a mistake. We didn't have (Chris) Neil and (Matt) Carkner play in the game. We didn't have enough toughness, so when we play Pittsburgh that's something you can bring up to me again."

Bylsma told Pittsburgh reporters he didn't like Foligno's actions and claimed he was trying to take out Marc-Andre Fleury with the Senators trailing by four goals.

"We're talking about a player that bumped into our goalie three times," Bylsma said. "With the score 5-1 and intentionally going into our goalie, he can expect more than Sidney Crosby coming at him and talking to him during

the game. That's how we feel about those situations. He was in our net falling over our goalie, and I don't think there was any question about the intent."

Crosby, who received a minor for elbowing Foligno in the head, responded after beating the Habs.

"I don't (know) what he's talking about. I was preaching about the hits like (Max Pacioretty's hit on Kris Letang (Saturday), not a scrum," said Crosby when asked about Foligno's comments after the game Saturday in Montreal. "I

don't know what he expects after he runs a goalie three times.

"He's probably lucky it was me that was handling it and not someone else. I think if he's going to do that, he should be ready to expect a response."

Crosby claimed Foligno was trying to make a big deal out of nothing.

"I think he's blowing it totally out of proportion," said Crosby. "Two nights before that I go into a scrum and I get punched in the head. I accept that. "I'm going into a scrum that's part of playing the game."